Not for me. That colourful plastic look makes me sad. Reminds me of Avowed too.
I know it’s a stylistic choice and not a lack of technical or artistic prowess, but at times it looks a bit worse than The Witcher 3, and that game released nine years ago…
I’m replaying Inquisition now, for the first time in nine years. (Cloud saves let you see the last time you played a game. In the old days, when you wiped a computer or built a new PC, you pretty much wiped all your old saves.)
But art design-wise it feels in the same vein. Bioware doesn’t want to make it look like every other medieval RPG, I guess. They want a distinctive look.
I’d agree; something about the palette, perhaps? Definitely has that Inquisition feel.
It’s been 9 years since Inquisition??? Wow!
It looks like Mass Effect Lite, stylistically.
Ten years.
It’s really strange going back to it. It’s been so long that I’d forgotten so much about the game, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. It means large parts of it were largely forgettable?
But it’s really jarring to go back post-BG3. The latter crafts every little combat encounter and item. Meanwhile, the open world nature of DAI makes every item and combat encounter lame. There’s little point buying things at shops because it’s just a slightly different variation of the same item you’re carrying. Loot is the same. It’s just a 38-DPS longsword instead of a 37-DPS longsword.
I also forgot most of the companions, mainly because I never brought most of them along. They give you three different rogues, three different mages, and three different warriors, but a bunch of them are annoying. Cole? Creepy and strange. Sera? Awful dialogue with an even worst hairstyle. Dorian? He’s Clark Gable, right down to that curly mustache.
Still, there are things I do like about it. The music and songs are great. Skyhold is the GOAT of all bases. There’s a lot of stuff that you can do. And there are great companions, like Varric and Cassandra.
And to consider, both of these won the Game of the Year from the Game Awards.
You’re right about DAI being completely forgettable. I don’t remember much.
I mean yeah, I’ve heard there are other companions but I never used them.
Cole is fascinating as a concept. He’s also well written, especially interactions with other party members, and well voiced.
I agree Inquisition has quite in-your-face characters, and I’m not super fond of Sera either, but I generally think they’re very well written, highly varied and engaging throughout. Iron Bull and Solas are particular standouts.
Having Cole and The Iron Bull in your party produces some awesome ambient dialogue.
- Cole: I like your horns, The Iron Bull.>
- Cole: But they’re dragon horns, not bull horns. You could have named yourself The Iron Dragon.
- Iron Bull: Oh, shit. That would have been better.
───────
- Cole: Barman laughs. Slides the drink over. Tankard in view the whole time, no chance poison was added. Blade at his waist. Club under the bar. Moves with training, mercenary or guard. Use that if I have to.
- Iron Bull: Yeah. I go for the shoulder, a shot he trained to take on the armor. But, since he’s a barman now and not a merc, he bleeds, flinches, and I trap the arm and break his neck.
- Cole: Why, The Iron Bull?
- Iron Bull: I didn’t do it, kid. It was just idle thought, in case it came up.
- Cole: Do you think about how to kill everyone you meet?
- Iron Bull: Do you not?
───────
- Iron Bull: So Cole, you’re a spirit…demon…thing?
- Cole: Yes. And you’re The Iron Bull, afraid of demons.
- Iron Bull: Not fond of 'em, no. But you and I are fine as long as you don’t do any weird crap.
- Cole: Lying awake, sheets soaked in sweat, afraid to call the Tamassrans. Shadows make shapes in the dark.
- Cole: If it gets in my head, how do I cut it out? Itching, shaking, tears slide cold down my cheeks. “Tama, I’m scared.”
- Iron Bull: Yeah, weird crap like that? Pretty much what I meant.
───────
- Iron Bull: So Cole, you’re polite, you’re good in a fight, and your heart’s in the right place.
- Cole: It is? Good.
- Iron Bull: I’ve got a plan. I think this could get you sorted out, get both feet on the ground.
- Cole: I have to lift my feet, or the rocks make noise when I walk.
- Iron Bull: Yes… When we get back, you’re going to spend an evening with a nice lady named Candy.
- Cole: Can I lift my feet?
- Iron Bull: She’s gonna lift a lot more than that.
───────
- Cole: The Iron Bull, do you ever worry about a demon standing to your left where your eye can’t see?
- Iron Bull: Well, I do now.
───────
Actually, The Iron Bull has great dialogue with almost every party member, although I seem to remember having him and Dorian in the party getting obnoxious.
- Iron Bull: Hey, that’s some good armor.
- Cassandra: Are you referring to me?
- Iron Bull: Some high-ranking women wear ornamental crap with tits hammered into it.
- Iron Bull: One good shot, and all that cleavage gets knocked right into the sternum. Real messy.
- Iron Bull: Good on you for going practical.
- Cassandra: I aim to please.
- Iron Bull: Leaves something to the imagination, too.
Crazy that it’s been that long. Feels like just a few years ago.
I have a strange relationship with this game. I’ve started it over and over many times since release, and put in a lot of hours at least two or three of those times. Always end up quitting, not because another game grabs my attention, as so often happens, but because I get bored and just don’t care about what is going on in the story.
That’s not so unusual, I do that with a lot of games, but I tend to just quit playing those. This one, I want to love so badly, I keep trying to see if I’m missing something. I do this partly because I really loved (and finished) the two games before (yes, even DA 2), and there are some things that I do really like such as the setting, characters and voice acting, art design, music.
Inquisition had the right idea going in a larger, more open world setting, but the execution was pretty weak. There are some cool, fun segments I recall, but on the whole, the game was just bland and boring. And even as I write this, I’m thinking I should load up my last saved game!
I still partly blame myself for not ignoring all the side content and sticking to the main quest as has been suggested, but then I feel I’m somehow missing out.
I tried to do the same, but the gather resource mechanic just killed me every time. It’s so annoying that you constantly have to stop, detour, and pick up some metal or flower.
This time around, it’s been so long that I can power through it.